Imported pot 'treats' threat to kids, dogs

For another, it's an edible marijuana product, you could be placing your family and pets in medical danger as well as yourself in legal jeopardy.

In Wisconsin, a 3-year-old boy accidentally ate marijuana-laced candy left on a table by his father, who brought it home from Colorado.

An Oregon boy got sick after an outing to a rock quarry -- he found a cookie in a wrapper on the ground and ate it, always a bad idea.

"I felt like I was vibrating up and down," Jackson hart said. "And that everything wasn't real."

His mom took him to the hospital to be treated for marijuana poisoning.

The Wisconsin boy was minimally responsive when he reached the hospital. Young children can't metabolize the drug, and the THC can suppress their respiratory rate to the point they suffer brain damage, both from the drug and the lack of oxygen.

A 2015 report shows the number of marijuana poisonings has doubled since pot became legal in Washington in 2013.

Of the 272 marijuana calls in 2015, 46 percent were for people under 19. The majority of calls, 24 percent, were for kids 13 to 19.

And, if you think chocolate is bad for dogs, which it is, consider the outcome if it's a marijuana brownie.

The Pet Poison Helpline, a 24-hour pet poison control center, has seen a four-fold increase in calls concerning pets experiencing marijuana intoxication over the past three years, the greatest jump over the last year.

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I wish our President would enforce our current federal drug laws. Of course I wish he would enforce our immigration laws also.

-- Posted by dennis on Wed, Mar 2, 2016, at 3:30 PM

I wish parents and pet owners could be more responsible. You can't legislate people into common sense.

-- Posted by president obama on Thu, Mar 3, 2016, at 6:01 PM

Exactly! Parents and pet owners need to have responsibility. That's what is wrong with today's society! If they were taking precautions, we wouldn't have to have the government step in everytime someone does something stupid.

-- Posted by Rural Citizen on Fri, Mar 4, 2016, at 4:09 PM

The marijuana industry should package edibles to look like medicine and not food. Adults are the intended customer so stop making them look like candy which tempts children is one answer.

The alcohol industry does the same thing in their packaging with lots of fruity adult beverages looking like soda in brightly adorned bottles.

In the case of alcohol adults are expected to store it away from the reach of children. The same should be applied to all other drugs including prescription medicine and marijuana.

As others have mentioned, personal responsibility goes a long way.

-- Posted by Diatheke on Tue, Mar 8, 2016, at 12:12 PM

Being responsible is not what the smoking and legalization movement stands for. Users smoke or ingest to avoid responsibility. Don't believe me, ask them when their high.